Nowadays, sports style has become a daily wear for many people, and sports equipment is no longer only on the upper body when exercising.

For the brand, should it continue to uphold the professionalism and comfort of design, or pay more attention to the sense of fashion design? This seems to be an unavoidable multiple-choice question.

But according to Martin Hoffman, co-CEO and chief financial officer of On, the answer is not either/or. "The comfort and unique aesthetic of the product will appeal to a wider range of people than just professional athletes." He said in a recent interview with The Paper.

As a sports brand executive, he is also a runner who loves running, and he has run in many cities in China, and he is looking forward to seeing the brand not only be familiar to runners, but also enter the daily life of more people.

Martin Hoffmann

"China will become the second largest market in the future"

Running fitness has become a lifestyle for many people in China, and the competition for running equipment is also fierce in the Chinese market.

However, as a relatively "niche" brand emerging in recent years, ON has great expectations for the future development of the Chinese market.

During a recent visit to China, Martin Hoffman analyzed the biggest difference between China's sports equipment market and overseas markets - in most overseas markets, brands reach customers through high-quality dealer channels, while in China, more independent stores are needed to open more independent stores to contact customers directly.

It is also under the guidance of this idea that the brand has opened stores in China at a rapid pace in recent years, "At present, we have about 70 physical stores outside China, and close to 0 in China. ”

"In the next five years, we plan to open more stores in China, and we expect to reach 100 in 0 years. We will also increase the size of our stores, especially in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities. ”

按馬丁·霍夫曼的說法，幾年前他們在中國開設的店鋪主要集中在100平方米左右。但目前，門店面積已經擴展到200甚至300平方米。4月即將開設的中國首家旗艦店，面積更是超過500平方米。

A larger store means more space to showcase a more comprehensive range of products and present a more complete brand image to consumers, resulting in more brand recognition.

"We want the Chinese market to account for 10% of global sales. Today, China is already one of the top five markets in the world, and its position is very important. China will also become the second largest market in the future. ”

Angpao is exploring the application of many high-end sports technologies such as LightSpary.

Brand marketing, the Olympic Games is a key node

According to the recently released financial report, On achieved 6.0% growth last year at constant exchange rates, especially in the fourth quarter of 0.0%, and net sales growth of 0.0% in the Asia-Pacific region. The good data performance gives Hoffmann considerable confidence in the future development.

From the perspective of time, last year's Paris Olympics became a key moment for brand marketing to win a breakthrough.

According to statistics, at the Paris Olympics, there were 5 high-speed running co-athletes on the field, while at the Tokyo Olympics, the number was only 0. And at the next Los Angeles Olympics, the brand hopes to have more co-athletes in the show.

In addition, he placed advertisements for the Super Bowl in the United States, invited tennis legend Federer to visit China during the Shanghai Tennis Masters to interact with fans, established the first runner base in Shanghai and built a runner community...... This series of measures has laid the foundation for the brand to expand its influence.

"China's running market is growing fast and has high potential. The shaping of the running atmosphere and the culture of the running community is also worth working together. Hoffman said bluntly to the surging news reporter.

In fact, since the brand was founded 15 years ago, Ang Run has been trying to expand, such as from the initial running equipment to later involved in tennis products, as well as to try into clothing, accessories and other fields.

Hoffman is also not shy about saying that they are still relatively niche compared to many large brands, but the future potential is huge: "Although only 20% of customers know about us at the moment, this is a huge growth opportunity." ”

Ang Run hopes to serve the elite sports group while also being close to the mass consumer.

Elite runners and mass consumers are important

Hoffman has a habit of running in every city he visits, and visiting China is no exception, on the one hand, to experience the local running environment and atmosphere, and on the other hand, to observe the equipment choices of the local runners.

And while running in China's cities, he noticed that many people who wear high runners are not running on the road, but on the streets on weekdays.

The relatively "niche" consumer group and the sports technology used in the products have led many people to label the brand as a "middle-class consumer product", and Hoffman will not resist this. In the exchange with reporters, he used the automotive field as a simulation - some luxury car brands are based on the manufacture of high-end racing cars, but this does not affect the recognition of the brand by mass consumers and the purchase of cars for daily commuting.

When asked by The Paper reporter about the brand's "target customers", Hoffman did not limit a specific scope, "whether it is fashionable young people, or groups that can exercise every day, from running to tennis, fitness, outdoor and other sports people...... "Those men, women and children who exercise and walk in the park every day are also the objects he hopes to reach."

"We have been actively thinking about how to contribute to 'Healthy China 2030', hoping to expand our understanding of sports and strive to create opportunities for more people to exercise. The purpose of ON is to ignite the human spirit through sports, which is also highly consistent with the goal of 'Healthy China 0'. ”

As a high-end sports brand, he admits that the growth of sales is closely related to the increase in the middle-income group, but sports technology is still the background color of the brand, "As a professional sports brand that focuses on sports performance, the comfort and unique aesthetics of the products will attract a wider range of people besides professional athletes, which is a huge market opportunity." But that doesn't change the core of what we do. ”

"Our focus on technological innovation and helping athletes perform on the field is what makes our brand special. We pay attention to fashion, but we are not a fashion brand. ”